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(No Model.) D M H RSON 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

SAFETY SWITCH FROG.

No. 465,531. PatentedDec. 22, 1891.

(No Model.) D. M RSON 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

SAFETY SWITCH FROG. No. 465,531. Patented Dec. 22, 1891.

L l v CUZ'ZiMS I In 6227 07" Qzmwfla 7y 2 w (No Model.) D. MAGPHERSON- 3Sheets-Sheet- 3.

SAFETY SWITCH FROG.

No. 465,531 Patented Dec. 22, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DUNCAN MAOPHERSON, OF MONTREAL, CANADA.

SAFETY SWITCH- FROG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,531, dated December22, 1891.

Application filed May 29, 1891. Serial No. 394,605.. (No model.)Patented in Canada May 19, 1891, No. 36,626.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DUNCAN MAoPHERsoN, a citizen of Canada, residing atMontreal, in the county of I-Iochelaga and Province of Quebec, Canada,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-TrackTurn-Outs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to improvements in railway-track turn-outs,for which I have obtained a patent in Canada, No. 36,626, bearing dateMay 19, 1891; and it consists in the construction, novel combination,and adaptation of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointedout in the claims appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a general plan View of myimproved track turn-out, illustrating the switch and frog as set toallow trains traveling in the direction of the arrow to pass into thesiding. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the switch and frog as setfor a clear main line. Fig. 3 is a detail plan View of a portion of themain track, switch-rails, and. the switch-stand, together with thedevices for adjusting the switch-rails, which are illustrated as set fora clear main track. Fig. 4c is a transverse section of the main trackand the switch-rails set for a clear main track, together with theswitch-stand and operating devices, which are illustrated in elevation.Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line3 3 on Fig. 1, the switch being set for siding. Fig. 6 is a transversesection taken in the same plane as Fig. 5, car-wheels being shown toillustrate how the wheels traveling upon the main line in the directionopposite to that indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 pass through theswitch. Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken in the plane indicated bythe line tion Fig. 1, illustrating the frog set over the main-track railand atruck passin gonto the turn-out or siding rails. Fig. 8 is atransverse section taken in the plane indicated by the line 5 5 on Fig.1, illustrating car-wheels traveling on the main line in a directionopposite to the arrow in Fig.1 as passing over the frog, which has beenset for siding. Fig. 9 isa see-v In the said drawings similar lettersindicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, referring towhich A indicates the main-track rails, which may be of the ordinary orany approved form,and are fixed upon the ties in any suitable manner,and B indicates the fixed turn-out rails, to the inner one of which thefrog is connected, as will be presently pointed out.

0 0 indicate the switch-rails, the outerone G of which may be of theordinary or any approved form and is adapted to abut at its heel againstone end of the outer turn-out rail. This outer switch'rail O restsagainst the ball of the m aim-track rail when the switch has been setfor siding, whereby the tread of the wheel entering the siding willproject over said rail; and, by reason of the inclination on the rail,as will be presently described, the flange of the wheel will clear themaintrack rail. As better illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, theinner switch-rail O has the inner edge of its ball and part of its webplaned off at and adjacent-to its too end, whereby when the switch isset for siding the outer portion of its ball will project over andrest'upon the main-line rail A, the guard-rail D (a portion of which isshown in Fig. 1) preventing the flange of the wheels from striking thepoint of the switch-rail. These switchrails C C, which are connectedtogether by transverse bars 0, rest upon blocks d, which are preferablyformed from wrought-iron, and are designed to afford a solid bed forsaid rails, which are provided with an inclined plane extending upwardlyfrom their toes, where their under sides occupy a horizontal planeparallel to plane of main-track rails, as shown in Fig. 4, a sufficientdistance, so that when the switch .is set for siding thewheel-flangeswill clear the main-track rails and, travel upon the.

turn-out or siding rails.

The inner turn-out rail B, which abuts against the heel of the innerswitch-rail O, is elevated above the plane of the main-track railsbetween the switch-rail O and the frog, beyond which said rail rests inthe same plane as the main-track rails.

The outer turn-out rail, which abuts against theheel 0f the switch-railC, is inclined downwardly from said switch-rail, preferably by means ofblocks of various sizes placed beneath it at intervals, until it restsin the same plane as the main-track rails.

E indicates my improved frog, which is connected in a hinged manner atone end to one end of the inner turn-out rail B, and is of a width atits free end sufficient to enable it to cover the main-track andturn-out rails. This frog E, from its connected end to a point adjacentto its middle, is of a corresponding height to the end of the turn-outrail, to which it is connected, and from its middle said frog isinclined downwardly, as indicated at f, to its free end, which is of anormal height, and is designed and adapted to lead the wheel from theelevated end of the broken tnrn out rail ing for trains traveling in thedirection of the arrow in Fig. 1 trains traveling in the oppositedirection on the main track will pass over the frog, as shown in Fig. 8,the guard-rail Q in such case serving to keep the wheels in their propergage-line.

Suitably connected, as by bolts, to the ends of the transverseswitch-connecting rods 0 is an angle-iron M, to which is connected oneof the straight threaded ends of a coil-spring P, the other straight andthreaded end of which takes loosely through a plate at, adj ustablyfixed on a connecting-rod S, and is provided at its end with an adjusting-nut V, whereby the tension of the spring P may be regulated. Thisspring P, which surrounds the connecting-rod S, between the plates M andn, is of such a tension as to allow the switch-rails to be readilyadjusted through the medium of the rod S, and also to give su fficientlyto allow the flange of a wheel traveling in a direction opposite to thatindicated by the arrow in Fig. 1 to push the switch-rail G away from themain-track rail, as better shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. As betterillustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the end of the barS is pivotallyor loosely connected to the crank portion R of a rocking shaft T, whichis provided at a suitable point with a crank branch U or other suitabledevice, whereby it may be readily turned and the switch adjusted.

Fixed upon the rocking shaft T and preferably adjacent to the lower endthereof, is a sprocket-wheel \V to receive a sprocket-chain for apurpose presently pointed. out. Connected in a suitable manner to thefrog E, and preferably at a point adjacent to the free end thereof, isarod F, which is connected at its opposite end to the crank portion Gota rocking shaft T, which is journaled in suitable bearin gs and isprovided adjacent to its lower end with a sprocket-wheel H. Takingaround the sprocket-wheel Wof the rocking shaft T and around thesprocket wheel H of the shaft T are chains I, the ends of which areconnected by rods, as L, whereby it will be seen that when the shaft Tis operated to adjust the switch-rails motion will be transmitted to theshaft T, whereby it will be readily perceived that the switch and frogwill be adj usted simultaneously and conj unctivel y. In some instancesit is obvious that the rods L might be dispensed with and a continuouschain belt employed to transmit motion from the switch-operatingshaft tothe frog-operating shaft.

It is further obvious that plain pulleys might be employed instead ofthe sprocketwheels W and H, in which case wire ropes or the like wouldbe substituted for the chains I and the rods L, said ropes beingconnected by suitable clips to one point of each pulley and providedwith suitable turnbuckles, whereby slack may be taken up when necessary.By the construction described it will be readily perceived that themain-track rails are not broken or opened, and they may be as securelyspiked to the rails adjacent to the switch and frog as at other points.

By the special construction and arrangement described it will be furtherseen that trains traveling upon the main-line tracks will inflict noblows upon the switch or frog, and it will be further seen that trainsmay pass at maximum speed over the switch and frog with perfect safety.

By reason of there being no open spaces between theends of rails at theswitch or frog, the great evils of expansion are entirely ob viated.

A great objection to split switches has been that snow and cinders mayget between them and cause them to foul when set for main line, whichobjection is obviated by my con* struction, in which the switch-railsand frog rest clear of the main-track rails when they are set for aclear main track.

Although I have specifically described the construction and relativearrangement of the several elements of my invention, yet I do not desireto be confined to such precise construction and arrangement, as suchmodifications may be made in practice as fairly fall within the scope ofmy invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. In a railway-trackturnout, the combina-' tion, with the fixed andunbroken main-track rails, of the inner broken turnout rail, the

outer turn-out rail, the adjustable switch-rails provided withupwardly-inclined planes from their toe ends and adapted to abut againstthe ends of the turn-out rails, the frog of a form, as shown, being fromits connected end to a point adjacent to its middle of a heightcorresponding to the turn-out rail to which it is hinged, its oppositeend being of a width corresponding to the combined width of one of themain rails and turn-out rails, and also inclined downwardly to its freeend, as indicated at f, and further inclined at a greater pitch, asshown at c, and connected in a hinged manner to the end of the innerturnout rail, and a suitable means for adjusting the switch-rails andfrog, substantially as specified.

2. In a railway-track turn-out, the combination, with the adjustableswitch rails, the transverse rods connecting the same, and the angularplate M, connecting the ends of the connecting-rods, of theconnecting-rod S, the plate 01, fixed thereon, the coiled springsurrounding the rod S between the plates M and n, and having itsthreaded ends taking loosely through said plates, nuts mounted on thethreaded ends of the coiled springs, and a suitable means for adjustingand adj ustably fixing the rod S, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

3. In railway-track turn-outs, the combination, with the main rails, ofthe turn-out rails inclined as described, and one of said rails beingpivoted to the frog, the frog E, of a form as shown, being from itsconnected end to a point adjacentto its middle of a height correspondingto the turn-out rail to which 1t 1s hinged, its opposite end being ofawidth corresponding to the combined width of one of the main rails andturn-out rails, and also inclined downwardly to its free end, asindicated at f, and further inclined at a greater pitch, as shown at e,the switch-rails raised above the main rails and adapted to partlyoverhang the same, and suitable means for moving said frog andswitch-rails, substantially as specified.

4. In a railway-track turn-out, the combina tion, with the main-trackrails and turn-out rails, of the frog E, the switch-rails C O, the rodsconnecting the switch-rails at one end, the angle-plate M, the spring P,havlng its opposite ends straight and threaded and one end attached tosaid angle-plate, the hinged frog, the rod F, connected therewith, therod S, adj ustably connected with the spring P at one end, therock-shaftsT and T, the sprocket-wheels secured to said rock-shafts, therods and chains connecting the sprocket-Wheels, and the rod connectedwith the switch-lever, and the rod connected with the frog being securedto the respective rock-shafts, substan-

